WASHINGTON (CNN) – Hillary Clinton called for calm Wednesday evening following a narrow win in Indiana and a significant loss in North Carolina that increased Barack Obama’s delegate lead and raised questions about whether Clinton should drop out.

“There is no cause for alarm, sometimes you got to calm people down a little bit,” Clinton told thousands of cheering female supporters at a fundraiser in Washington called ‘Generations of Women for Hillary.’

“I understand that some people are getting a little nervous, and I have to say that there really is no cause for nervousness, because we will have a unified Democratic Party,” she said. “I will work my heart out for the nominee of our party and I believe that Sen. Obama will work as hard as he can for the nominee of our party.”

Clinton added that the differences between her and Obama are minimal compared to Democrats’ differences with McCain.

Flanked onstage by daughter Chelsea and mother Dorothy Rodham, Clinton told the crowd that too many people have fought to make history by nominating a woman to give up.

“Do you know difficult it is for women to stand up and say we are the best at anything?” Clinton asked. “The Democratic Party has to know that women are the core, women have to be at the table and women are going to be heard as we continue in these contests until they finally end.”

Clinton said earlier in the day at a rally in West Virginia – the next state to hold a primary contest – that the number of delegates needed to win the nomination is actually 2,209 – not the 2,025 the Democratic Party requires. At the fundraiser, she insisted that Florida and Michigan’s votes be counted, calling it a civil rights issue.

“I will be sending a letter to Sen. Obama and to Chairman [Howard] Dean expressing my strong belief that this issue about the voters in Florida and Michigan is a civil rights issue,” said Clinton. “We need to stand up and say the Democratic Party is smart enough to figure how to be sure we don’t disenfranchise two states we have to win when it comes to the November election.”

Clinton closed by reminding the crowd she’s been counted out before, only to win.

“I landed in New Hampshire on Thursday night down nine points and I won Tuesday. You can turn elections in a day, you can turn them in a week if you know what it takes to actually win,” said Clinton.

soundoff(373 Responses)

CHILL!

Hilliary: Hang in there Girl! The majority of women are supporting you. You are our leader and we support you 100 percent. Do not let the other side "Obama" lead you astray. All voters deserve to have their votes counted (and that means Michigan and Florida). Women, unite and help spread the word that we want Hilliary Clinton for the next President of United States of America!!!

May 7, 2008 11:18 pm at 11:18 pm |

Ada

The race card didn't work. Now is time to play the gender card.

May 7, 2008 11:18 pm at 11:18 pm |

Mark, B'ham., Al.

Hillary cannot win with the count know but it makes sense that she knows something about Obama that the rest of America does not know and the liberal left will keep it from middle America. That is what she is hoping gets out so the super delegates will drop Obama like a case of VD. The one thing I have found out about Obama with this race lasting so long is that he is not a moderate but a liberal socialist who thinks European Socialism is what he and his freinds want for America, even with its socialized medicine and unions crippling the economy with strikes shutting down transportation and food production.

McCain is the true moderate and uniter!

May 7, 2008 11:18 pm at 11:18 pm |

latino

Hillary, you are tough and smart ; my respects and and admiration for you.
But I gave my vote to Obama , and I will for him again in November.

May 7, 2008 11:20 pm at 11:20 pm |

Carl

Woah.. she is being very sexist and it pains me. Also you might be able to turn around an individual state election but you can't magically form over 200 delegates overnight. I hate to say this, but you lose and should face facts.

May 7, 2008 11:20 pm at 11:20 pm |

Bubba

Hillary is a transgender...not a woman...ask Bill.

May 7, 2008 11:20 pm at 11:20 pm |

Trollmaster

HIllary blew her chance to be a leader when she voted yes for the Iraq war. The biggest choice she made in her life and she got it wrong.

All she had to do is lead the anti war vote and vote no on the war before it started and she'd easily be the Dem nominee a long time ago. She deserves to lose, now she's just looking very selfish.

May 7, 2008 11:21 pm at 11:21 pm |

Wayne

Obama supporters have been coercing and threatening superdelegates to vote for him. He has lied and changed his stories so many times he looks like a fool. Anyone who votes for him didn't live through the Carter years. Of course Rush Limbaugh is going to say "vote for Obama". Obama can't win against McCain because every one voting for Hillary is not going to vote for Obama. That includes me. I will vote for McCain before I let a fake like Obama become president. He is an inexperienced child.

May 7, 2008 11:21 pm at 11:21 pm |

Sam

Mrs. Clinton, you are an Icon and an example to millions of people in this country and around the world, with your determination, courage and the strength you have shown. President Clinton and you have tremendously contributed and made many peoples lives better around the world and we pray for you and your family's well being. May God bless you and your family with good health, strength, wisdom and hope to see you as Prsident of this great nation on this earth for next eight years. We love you from the bottom of our heart and you have all the qualifications necessary to be a Presidnet and make our great nation feel proud.

May 7, 2008 11:21 pm at 11:21 pm |

Peg

Leave her alone and let her come to the conclusion that she should step down, and she will only do that if she is left alone and decides for herself.

She is a bit worrisome, however, and I think the Supers should monitor her words and behaviors very closely because they may have to intercede quickly. Her words are becoming a bit out of line and not realistic. I am concerned with her mental health.

May 7, 2008 11:21 pm at 11:21 pm |

Go Hillary

Only insecure folks are afraid of Hillary's tenacity.
Hillary goes all the way and we don't want her to give up.
Anybody but her. If she gives up, we give it to McCain.
Unfortante choice, but more mature.
Hillary has what it takes. She is persistent and strong woman who deserves to be the President. Unfortunately, not too many folks are are willing to fulfill their own drive, live up to their own amibtious in the face of advesity. Too many are too cautous, too timid and shy ... like Obama afraid to face their past choosing to simply deny it... who will not know neither victory no defeat.

May 7, 2008 11:22 pm at 11:22 pm |

Andres Perez

I think that she is persisting because Obama is black. She has the support of good people but also of racist persons. I am just curious why the republicans are voting or requesting to the people to vote for her. I hope that the Secret Service is protecting Obama very close. I hope for the good of this country that nothing bad happen to Obama, and that she didn't try to steal the nomination. It is time to close the difference and embrace him as the only really leader that we have. Good Bless America and our Constitution.

May 7, 2008 11:22 pm at 11:22 pm |

Eugene

Dear Hillary supporters, You have put your hearts on the line. She is a very strong candidate, but can you see why the other side has such a hard time with her? Have the times during the campaign when she said before cameras things that flew in the face of truth were not as much of a problem as the times such as when she pounced on Obama over Rev. Wright (though her family had once turned to him) and hesitated to affirm he was not Muslim. Imagine for a second if you were a supporter of her opponent how those times could cause very hard feeling. Obama may well pick a woman as VP, but she has made it almost impossible for that person to be her for all her strengths. I believe Hillary will campaign for Obama, and I hope you will join her in that.

May 7, 2008 11:22 pm at 11:22 pm |

Stan(NC)

Senator Clinton supporters...

Keep the faith.

Keep promoting her.

Keep promoting the cause for what's best for America's future.

To all the remaining states... YOU are important in THIS election.

In most elections, you are an after thought. You complain that your votes don't count because the nominee is already chosen.

THIS time... and maybe only this time... YOUR votes do count.

They will either show strong support for Senator Clinton or for Obama. You get to decide who YOU feel is best able to win the White House in November.

Senator Clinton believes you want her. The Super Delegates are watching to see what you say.

Vote your 'heart' not what the media or what any mob standing outside your polling place tries to force you to do.

Cling to your 2nd Amendment rights... and make YOUR vote count.

May 7, 2008 11:24 pm at 11:24 pm |

Tina

I am not a Hillary fan and more I just don't like her but I think she is a mature politician. People laughed when she said she is like Rocky, I did not. I think if it was not for her lies and her blow below the belt she would have been terrific. I may not like her but I do know she is very smart and intelligent and my concern right now why does she wants to go all the way? Is it because she received some encouragements from someone or a group of people relative to a possibility to get rid of Obama for whatever reason? It's again the wait and see.

May 7, 2008 11:25 pm at 11:25 pm |

k williams

if dem want to vote for mccain out of spite cause hillary lost to barrack, i say good. if racist folks want to cut off their nose to spite their face i say good. as long as hillary will never be president i will die a happy man. what she and her nasty pervent of a husband has done the the dem party and the race card being played has destroyed any cred they've enjoyed. all because she didnt want to lose to a black man. wow. i truly hope hillary, bill, james carvill, fox news, cnn, and yes rev wright burn in hell.

May 7, 2008 11:25 pm at 11:25 pm |

V in CA

POSTED BY ONE OF THE OVER 15 MILLION WHO HAVE VOTED FOR SEN. HILLARY CLINTON SO FAR.

She is our representative in this race. We exist, and we matter!

Go HIllary!

May 7, 2008 11:26 pm at 11:26 pm |

Bill - Charlotte

So, we should vote for Hillary because she is a woman? Then, using that LOGIC, I think everyone should vote for Obama because he has a brain.

How in the world is the Democratic going to persuade anyone that they can change this country when there is no one with enough fortitude to stop this train wreck before it ruins the party? Will someone please get her out! Someone help her save herself from herself...she has been Annie Oakley, G.I. Hillary, shot drinking momma with "testicular Fortitude, gas station attendant and now she has evolved into HUCKABEE HILLARY!

May 7, 2008 11:28 pm at 11:28 pm |

Kimberly

I will not vote for Obama, neither will my mom, brother, two adult kids and husband. Everone I know feels the same way. I love Hillary BUT her endorsement for him will not change my mind. He can go back to Chicago with Rezko and Reverend Wright. Oh ... he can have Sharpton & Jackson too!!!

May 7, 2008 11:29 pm at 11:29 pm |

hrsadmin

Nancy Pelosi, a woman, is third in line to the Presidency. For Clinton to imply there are no women at the table is indicative of the say-anything pandering she's exhibited in the last few weeks. Say anything and soon you'll convince no one except yourself.

May 7, 2008 11:31 pm at 11:31 pm |

Anonymous

Called Upon May 7th, 2008 10:17 pm ET

Operation Desperation has started.. I've been donating to Obama for months and no one has EVER called. Yuu must be some kind of high dollar donor, which means if that's the case you wouldn't have invested all of that money to get Obama nominated and then go and smear his campaign on a blog. Clearly this is a 100% made up story just like the stupid gas tax holiday.

Sharon Minnesota May 7th, 2008 10:23 pm ET

If it was such a bogus rule then why would Clinton agree to it and say publiicy back in the fall that MI & FL would not count? The issue is that this was decided before the primary season began by ALL parties. It's not like someone saw she "won" MI & FL and then went back and said that the states wouldn't count. Get a clue. If she was such a campion of making sure all votes count, why id she wait until the math became tough for her to statr this whole MI & FL crusade.

Little known fact: Terry Macuffle, Clinton's chief strategist use to be head of the DNC and he was faced with the same situation back in the 90s and said that he would not seat the deleages or only seat half if MI moved their rimary up. MI decided not to because they didn't want to lose their seats. Don't beleive me, look it up...100% facts.

BTW.. She was the only person on the MI ballot and 40% of the people came out in the cold weather to say no, not Clinton and voted uncommitted.

May 7, 2008 11:32 pm at 11:32 pm |

joe

iT's not a question of women or men. It's a matter of as CEO Clinton failed to generate above average return. In economy 101 if an organization does not deliver, it has to merge with a stronger one, could it be its competitor. The fact is Hillary's entreprise is running on debt. She injected her own money to have a positive cash flow. Not only she does not generate above average return, but also her company( her campaign) is on debt. How will a reasonable investor invest his money in that organization, what ever the gender of the CEO? I know women are good CEOs,but Hillary Clinton is not one of them. In Economy she shows she cannot be Bill Clinton,neither Bill cannot do anything for her, let alone if she will be CEO of the macro enterprise( USA). She cannot run her own campaign, I do not think she could do better than John Mcain whose long term in Washington shows only how light he is in economy ( gas tax holiday, solution for Housing Crisis) and in foreign affairs (Sunni insurgents crossing to Iran are trained and come back fighting US Soldiers). CEO Bush goes bankrupt. "The same causes produce the same effects in the same circumstances" said a critic. Putting Mcain means repeating the same double mistakes in 2000 and 2004,not Hillary after running a broken organization.
She supposes to merge with brand Obama who will fire all of her former employees for incompetence. She is much much better than McCain.

May 7, 2008 11:32 pm at 11:32 pm |

Ito, Yokosuka Japan

Hillary is a fraud. Please, God, save us from the Queen.

May 7, 2008 11:32 pm at 11:32 pm |

Rick from NJ

I have one good reason why Hillary should stay in. If this were the national election, the winner would be decided by the electoral college. Guess what. With the states reporting so far with their primary results, Clinton 251 Obamba 206. She may have a good argument

May 7, 2008 11:33 pm at 11:33 pm |

RIF

Called Upon May 7th, 2008 10:17 pm ET

Operation Desperation has started.. I've been donating to Obama for months and no one has EVER called. Yuu must be some kind of high dollar donor, which means if that's the case you wouldn't have invested all of that money to get Obama nominated and then go and smear his campaign on a blog. Clearly this is a 100% made up story just like the stupid gas tax holiday.

Sharon Minnesota May 7th, 2008 10:23 pm ET

If it was such a bogus rule then why would Clinton agree to it and say publiicy back in the fall that MI & FL would not count? The issue is that this was decided before the primary season began by ALL parties. It's not like someone saw she "won" MI & FL and then went back and said that the states wouldn't count. Get a clue. If she was such a campion of making sure all votes count, why id she wait until the math became tough for her to statr this whole MI & FL crusade.

Little known fact: Terry Macuffle, Clinton's chief strategist use to be head of the DNC and he was faced with the same situation back in the 90s and said that he would not seat the deleages or only seat half if MI moved their rimary up. MI decided not to because they didn't want to lose their seats. Don't beleive me, look it up...100% facts.

BTW.. She was the only person on the MI ballot and 40% of the people came out in the cold weather to say no, not Clinton and voted uncommitted.